Within A Soul
by Frizz07
Summary: It is said that hating is easy, but love takes courage. Follow Hermione Granger on the long road of lost memories, recovery from the past, and allowing her broken heart to be healed by a boy she once called her enemy.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to own Harry Potter . . . or a certain Draco Malfoy . . . I do not and will never own a thing.

**Within A Soul **

_'Take my life and show me what I'm living for_

_There's nothing I won't do for the answer_

_Give me hope and prove to me that this is worth it _

_It's killing me like a cancer _

_I'm still looking for the answer'_

_**Chapter One**_

There was an essence to the night that seemed so unreal, so unnatural. A thick cloud of fog dance upon the dew covered grass, the water glittering like the billions of stars in the enchanting night sky.

A girl, no older than the age of seventeen, placed her foot into the wet grounds of Hogwarts, walking ever so slowly from the castle and into the night. Her nightgown, as dark as the sky, swayed with the breeze as she walked towards the shimmering lake. Following close behind her was a young man, with a heart of ice and the looks of a god, inspecting her every move.

Reaching the lake, the girl took a step onto a rather large rock that was placed at the edge of the lake. Almost in a trace like state, she stood there, her eyes shut tight, her hands neatly at her side, her face tilted to the sky. Her right foot moved closer to the edge of the rock, but suddenly froze in its place as a voice was heard from behind her.

"Are you sure you really want to do that?" The young man said as he stepped out from behind a tree, his platinum blond hair sweeping over his stormy eyes. "I mean, if you want to kill yourself, I'm sure that I could at least find a better way for you instead of jumping into a lake."

The girl did not look back, but simply moved her foot back to its place next to the other one. "I'm not going to kill myself, Malfoy." she said gently, her eyelashes brushing against her cheeks.

Draco Malfoy let out a small laugh, taking yet another few steps closer to her, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Are you sure? From what I'm seeing, it sure looks like it."

"Just go away." She said, ever so softly.

Cocking his head to the side, Draco grinned at her. "What the hell has gotten into you, Mudblood? Didn't your scum-dwelling parents ever teach you that it's not proper to try to commit suicide?"

Hermione turned her head towards Draco, a tear slipping down her cheek. "They're gone." she whispered.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Draco spat, crossing his arms over his chest, a shiver running through his body as he stared into the eyes of the young woman before him.

"You wouldn't understand." She said as she sat down, her nightgown spreading across the hard surface.

Draco took a step closer to the rock. "What, did Potty and Weasel finally tell you to shove off?"

Hermione gripped the ends of her nightgown in the palms of her hands. "My parents," she began to say ever so softly, stopping to look back at the lake. "t-there was a car crash. They're . . . dead."

There was an odd silence between the two after this.

"Serves them right," he said softly, grinning for a second, and then completely wiping it from his face. Hermione didn't seem to notice.

"I wish it were me." she said, lowering her head to the ground. "I wish I had been the one who had died, not them. Not them."

Draco shifted uncomfortably. "You know, I'm not your psychologist , Mudblood. I'm not here for you to cry to."

Hermione closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I never asked you to."

Looking at her with complete disgust, Draco attempted to take a step towards the castle, but stopped himself, suddenly remembering a time that he had also wished that he would be washed away from the earth.

"You don't have to stand here and watch me, Malfoy. You can go inside and rest peacefully, knowing that you have one good thing that your worst enemy doesn't have."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"A family." Hermione said, biting her quivering bottom lip.

Draco let out a laugh. "You think that my family is great? You've got to be joking! Seriously, do you honestly think that a father who is a death eater and a mother who has been abused more than once by the lunatic would really turn out to be that great of role models? I think not."

Hermione turned so that her back was to Malfoy. "At least you have them." she said, her voice trailing off until all that was heard was her silent sobbing. Draco watched her closely as she let her head fall back on her shoulders, the thick tear stains shimmering on her discolored cheeks. There was something strange about this girl, almost as if the soul that had once roamed through her body was now deceased, leaving nothing but a sad and lonely shell.

"Where am I supposed to go from here?" Hermione cried, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I feel so alone, so lost."

Draco shrugged his shoulders, his eyes fixed on the crimson tear that slid ever so slowly down her cheek. "You do nothing."

Hermione wiped away her tears. "How do you expect me to more on from this? Don't you get it, they're dead! They're not coming back!"

There was an odd silence. An uncomfortably odd silence as Hermione's voice echoed through the grounds.

Hermione's tear-filled eyes locked with Draco's, and for a moment, Draco felt a bit of sympathy for her. Of course, he could never display this on the outside. That wasn't the kind of thing that he would ever do.

"You know what I think you should do?" Draco said deeply as he moved as close as he could to the rock, pinning the ends of her nightgown to the rock. "I think that you should stop your crying and be appreciative of what you had, because until you have a father like mine who insists on torturing you and your mother night and day, you have no right to look down on your life and even consider suicide."

Draco had not intended to share as much information as he had with his enemy. Hermione's lips parted in shock.

"I-I didn't know . . ."

Draco narrowed his eyes at her, his hands curling into fists. "You know nothing about me, Granger. Let's keep it that way." With that said, Draco turned on his heel, walking as fast as he could back to the castle, leaving many unsettled questions lingering in the air.

**_Author's Note: _**Hey there! You know, it really feels nice to be able to write again. Ok, so I decided to do yet another Draco/Hermione story. You just can't get enough of em! I really hope that at least someone likes it. I already have chapters 2, 3, and 4 finished (my editor Kyp needs to read through them before I post them), so please be kind and review, and maybe I can get the next chapter up sometime tomorrow! Ah, and just a warning, the characters tend to get a little out of character, but trust me, it's intended to be that way. Things will fall into place and make more sense in the coming chapters!

xoxo

Jess aka Frizz


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to own Harry Potter . . . or a certain Draco Malfoy . . . I do not and will never own a thing.

**Within A Soul **

_It's kinda hard to see you like this,  
Stuck in a world that doesn't exist  
What can I do or tell you,  
You're not alone, no you're not alone._

_**Chapter Two **_

That next morning, just as the sun was rising and clearing away the darkness, Hermione got up from her bed, starting her usual morning routine. Walking towards the bathroom, she slowly stripped away her clothing, tossing them to the floor of the bathroom and turning the knob, a stream of warm water pouring into the shower.

Hermione pushed aside the curtain, getting into the shower and allowing the beads of water to beat against her skin. As she stood there, with her eyes closed tight and her head tilted towards the ceiling, all the memories of the night before came flooding into her mind. Malfoy; What could he have possibly wanted when he followed her out to the lake? That brown-nosing twit probably just wanted to tattle on her for sneaking off in the middle of the night. What an arrogant little . . .

Hermione jumped a few inches off the floor as a loud banging noise was heard from the other side of the bathroom door. It was Malfoy, beating his fist against the door. "Come on Mudblood, other people have to use the bathroom!" he yelled furiously.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione continued with her shower, blocking out the noises. She was in no mood to argue with him. It wasn't five minutes later that the noises seemed to die down, and a small creak of a door was heard. Hermione thought nothing of it but that Malfoy had finally left for breakfast.

"I thought I told you to get your bloody arse out of the shower?" said a deep voice from the other side of the shower curtain.

Startled by the voice, Hermione dropped the bottle of shampoo that she had been holding, the contents spilling onto the tiled floor.

"Get out of here, Malfoy!" She yelled as she poked her head out of the shower curtain. As she went to shut it, Hermione took a step back into the water, her foot meeting the empty shampoo bottle. Her body instantly collided with the shower floor, her head smacking against the tiles.

Draco, having heard the loud thud, looked around the room to locate the noise. "What the bloody hell was that?" he said, a hint of anxiety in his voice. "Granger?" Taking a step forward, his wand still at the ready, he took the shower curtain in his hand, opening it just enough to see the tiles of the floor, the water shaded red.

Pulling it open to its full extent, Draco's breath was caught in his lungs as he looked down at Hermione, dark red blood seeping from a cut in her skull, the empty shampoo bottle at her side.

'Oh, great.' Draco thought as his eyes scanned over her naked body. 'What the bloody hell am I supposed to do? Should I leave her here? Wait, no, that could go bad. Go get help.'

Tearing his eyes away from her exposed body, Draco reached over into the shower and shut off the water, grabbing a towel and carefully laying it on top of her.

"Granger," he said as he got down to her level, his hand resting on her arm. "If you can hear me, stay still. I'm going to get help."

"Poppy," McGonagall said softly as she stood before Hermione's hospital bed, Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey at her side. "How long do you expect Miss Granger to be here?"

Madam Pomfrey shrugged her shoulders. "It all depends on how quickly she heals. It might be a week or two before she can get back on her feet."

Dumbledore nodded his head, turning to Malfoy, whom of which was by the large door to the entrance. "Mr. Malfoy," he said, taking a few steps over to Draco. "Professor McGonagall and I thank you deeply for helping Miss Granger. You have showed us a great deal of responsibility and kindness by what you did."

"Promise me that my father will never hear of this." Draco said softly, uncomfortably shoving his hands into his pockets.

Dumbledore nodded, understanding the nature of the Malfoys and how Lucius would react to such news of his son helping an enemy. "You have my word."

"Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey chirped from the other side of the room. "could I ask you a few questions about Miss Granger?"

Nodding, Dumbledore returned to Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, Draco following close behind. "What is it that you wanted to ask me?"

Madam Pomfrey looked down at Hermione, and then back at Dumbledore. "For medical purposes, do you know of anything that might have been bothering her, possibly causing her a lot of stress?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I know of one that would cause a great deal of stress and pain to such a young person. Her parents had been victims of a car crash only three days ago. Miss Granger has been having quite a hard time dealing with the news."

"Poppy, are you going to suggest that Miss Granger did this on purpose?" McGonagall said with shock, her hands crossed over her chest.

"Minerva, I would never openly suggest such a thing, but with the child's case-"

"She didn't do it on purpose." Draco said loudly, startling the three elders.

McGonagall turned to Draco. "How exactly do you know this, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco cleared his throat as he looked at Hermione from the corner of his eyes. "I was in the bathroom at the time. I came in to tell her that I needed the shower . . . and I startled her. She must have slipped on what ever she was holding at the time, and then I found her."

Dumbledore rubbed his chin. "It was merely an accident, then. I, too, was concerned that it might have been intentional, considering what has happened, but I trust that Miss Granger would never do such a terrible thing as committing suicide."

Standing there next to Hermione's bedside, Draco began to think about the night before and how he had followed Hermione out to the lake. There was no way that he could ever tell Dumbledore about that, not after something like this. Or could he? This was something that could ruin Hermione's reputation of being the ever so intellectual, stuck-up little princess. He could make them believe that she had gone insane.

"Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said, waving a hand in front of his face. Draco snapped back to attention. "The Headmaster and I are returning back to our quarters. You can choose to stay here if you would like, or you can do what ever you please."

Draco nodded, watching them leave the room, leaving him completely alone. Choosing to stay, Draco sat down in one of the armchairs next to Hermione's bed. Now normally, if this accident would have happened only a few months before, Draco would not have chosen to sit next to Hermione's bedside, awaiting the moment that she woke up. Instead, he would be celebrating the accident of his enemy.

Over the past few months, Draco had been introduced to a entirely new lifestyle. His father had been sent to Azkaban, leaving the mansion and all of its goods to Draco and his mother. Having never spent any longer than a minute with his mother, Draco took this time to connect with her, to get to know the woman that his father had always prevented him from connecting with.

Unlike Lucius, Narcissa was a kind woman, with a heart of gold, full of love and passion. This was not a usual Malfoy trait, and at times, Draco often wondered why some of his mother's passion had not been passed on to him. This had all changed, though, after much needed conversations with his mother. Narcissa had shown her son that there was more to life than evil and pain, and that deep down inside, Draco did indeed possess some good.

Draco's attention was drawn Hermione as she slowly picked herself up from the hospital bed, her eyes darting frantically around the room. "W-Where am I?" she said softy, her voice hoarse.

"Hogwarts hospital wing." Draco said, shifting to face her. He smiled at the frightened look on her face.

"What happened to me?" She said, her body shaking with fear.

Draco nodded to the medium sized cut on her scalp. "You bumped your head in the shower. Quite a nasty fall."

"I-I can't seem to remember anything," she said, running a quivering hand through her damp hair. "Exactly how long was I in there before someone found me?"

"Not that long." Draco said, sinking back in his chair, shivering at the remembrance of the blood colored water.

Hermione inspected Draco as he sat there. There was something strange about his present attitude. It almost seemed as though this person next to her were someone who she had never met before.

"Were you the one that brought me here?"

Draco sat silent for a moment, debating whether to lie, or to answer her question honestly. He simply nodded his head.

Hermione lowered her eyebrows. "Why?"

Draco let out a small laugh, almost shocked that she would ask such a thing! "Bloody hell, did you want me to leave you to bleed to death? You don't think I'm _that_ cold-hearted, do you?"

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, her voice rising. "I just was wondering why your attitude has suddenly shifted towards me. I mean, you have to admit, saving an enemy really isn't the typical thing that a Malfoy would do. Even you can agree with me on that."

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Like I said before, Granger, you know nothing about me. So what, maybe I've changed a little since my father was sent away. You don't always have to have an answer for everything."

"Excuse me, but I do in fact need answers when it comes to situations like this. You saved my life, Malfoy. There must have been some motive behind it for you to do it."

Draco's stormy gray eyes grew cold. "I must say, Mudblood, that is one hell of a way to treat a person after they save your bloody arse. I could have left you in that shower, but I didn't."

"Why did you, Malfoy? What, I mean, did you expect something in return? Did you expect me to be in debt to you after this?"

"You know what, Mudblood?" Draco said, through his teeth, his fists clenched at his sides. "For a good amount of time, I actually thought that I was doing a good thing by helping a fellow student, but obviously now I can see it was a mistake!"

Hermione's jaw slightly fell open. "How is it a mistake?"

Draco let out a small laugh in frustration. "How is it a mistake? I'll tell you how it was a mistake. You have to complain about everything! I saved your arse from bleeding to death and the very first thing that you do when you wake up is complain about it! I mean, did you _want me _to be the same old Malfoy and just _ignore you _while you slowly died in there?"

Tears formed in Hermione's eyes as she starred down at her sheets, a wince escaping from her throat. "Things are never going to change, Malfoy. As much as we all want it, there's no chance of fixing the past."

The impact of this was like a million bricks in the face. Getting your hand slammed in a door. Your heart deflating after saving a persons life and then finding out that they still hate you!

Clenching his teeth, Draco got to his feet and attempted to storm out the doors.

"Malfoy, please stay," Hermione said, softly, but just loud enough for him to hear.

Draco stopped in his tracks, sighing heavily. "Give me one good reason why I should stay here with you, Granger. I have much better things to do than to sit around here and not be appreciated."

Hermione looked down at her sheets, twiddling her fingers. "I-I can't remember anything . . . and I was wondering if you could help me?"

Standing there for just a moment longer, Draco closed his eyes. "You're smart, figure it out for yourself." he said, clenching his fists, and taking a step forward, exited the room.

**Author's Note: **Hmm . . . so can you actually picture Draco being nice? I think that would just ruin that whole dark and sexy attitude that he has going. So I'm hoping that you can at least see a tad bit of a change in his whole attitude, even though the dark and crude attitude still overpowers everything. In a way, he's experimenting with the new idea (mainly because of his mother) that he can still do good and be himself at the same time. Of course, with Hermione's ever constant negative attitude towards him, it doesn't help him that much. Well, enough of my rambling, thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! It means a lot! And a big thanks to Kyp!

Jess aka Frizz


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to own Harry Potter . . . or a certain Draco Malfoy . . . I do not and will never own a thing.

**Within A Soul **

_You try to break me,  
Try to hate me,  
So you can fall out of love.  
You wanna make me,  
Believe that I'm crazy,  
And I'm nothing without you._

_**Chapter Three **_

One week had passed since her accident, and nearly fully recovered, Hermione was happily released from her hospital bed. Although most of her memory loss had not yet been recovered, Dumbledore and Madam Poppy found it exceptional that she return to her classes and duty of Head girl.

"It's nice to have you back, Mione." Ron said as he sat next to her at breakfast, his face plastered with a smile.

Hermione smiled wearily, nodding her head. "It is nice to be back, but-"

Harry stopped eating for a moment. "But what?"

"It just feels like something's missing. I wish I could remember." She said softly, looking down at her empty plate.

Ron placed a hand on her back, softly rubbing it. "Don't worry, Mione, you'll have your memory back in no time."

Smiling, Hermione nodded. "I hope so."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Later that day in the Heads common room, Hermione sat peacefully in one of the velvet armchairs, a fire crackling in the fireplace. Closing her eyes, she tried her best to go through her thoughts, hoping that something would come to her.

"There's no use in trying, Mudblood, you're not going to remember anything that way." Draco said as he came down the steps from his bedroom.

Hermione sighed, opening her eyes and focusing her attention on the fireplace. She was in no mood to talk to him.

Smiling, Draco took a seat at the end of the couch, pushing back his hair. "You know," he said smoothly, "I can help you remember what you did before the accident."

Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing too well that he would be no help. "Shove off, Malfoy. I know that everything that you would tell me would be a lie."

"Ouch. Someone's got a bit of an attitude today. Besides, how do you know that? I could be telling you the truth."

"All right then, Malfoy," Hermione turned her attention to Draco, "tell me what I was doing the night before my accident."

Draco rubbed his chin as he sat there. _'Should I tell her about her parents? She obviously doesn't remember if she's asking me what happened.'_

"Well," Draco said, leaning forward, "It was dark and you went out to the lake. Of course, being Head boy, I had to follow you to . . you know . . see if you were going out to smoke or something."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"So, following you out to the lake, I noticed that your eyes were closed . . obviously meaning that you were sleep walking. As I approached you to lead you back to the castle . . . you started speaking all of his mumbo-jumbo about how you fancied me and then . . you kissed me."

A deafening silence filled the room. Hermione shook her head, lowering it slightly. "No," she said, smiling for a moment, and then completely wiping it from her face. "No, no, that's not what happened,"

Grinning, Draco kicked back his feet. _'You need to learn, Granger . . . never mess witha Malfoy. You hurt me, I hurt you.' _

Bringing her hands to cover her eyes, Hermione leaned forward, resting her elbows on her quivering knees. "That's not what happened." She mumbled, softly. Raising her chin to meet his eyes, Hermione lowered her eyebrows in thought, biting her bottom lip. "I would never do that! I could never possibly lock lips with someone as nasty, vile, big-headed -"

" . . . corrupted, arrogant, egotistic, crude. I've heard it all, Granger. But the point is, I know a kiss when I see a kiss. You kissed me. You're just too stubborn to accept it."

"You're calling me stubborn? You've got to be joking me!"

Draco shook his head, entwining his hands on his stomach. "If only I _was_ joking. I'm afraid this isn't a joking matter, Granger." he said, seriously. "We have a problem on our hands."

Hermione scooted forward in her chair. "What exactly are you talking about?" She said, afraid of what he might say next.

Draco inspected her for a moment, taking in the fear in her eyes and that plastered her face. He had her hanging by his every word. He could get used to this.

Sighing deeply, he shifted his eyes to the fire, and then back to Hermione. "Do you have feelings for me?"

Hermione seemed to be shocked by this question, by the tone of voice in which he had used. Was he serious? Was there a possibility that she had feelings for him? Oh, of course not! He was Draco Malfoy. Of course she didn't have feelings for that arrogant weasel . . . or did she?

Pressing her lips together, Hermione shook her head, feeling a tiny bit of uncertainty. Draco caught this right away.

"How could you even ask me such a question?" She spat, crossing her arms over her chest.

Draco sat still, a smile slowly creeping upon his face. It was completely obvious that she was uncertain about whether or not she had developed feelings for him. It couldn't be more obvious if there was a sign over her head flashing, 'I have feelings for Draco Malfoy!'.

"What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him as he continued to stare at her, his hand stroking his chin.

Draco simply shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing." he said, slyly. "Nothing at all."

"You are being absurd, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione cried as she got to her feet, making her way over to the stairwell to her room. "Even if I were completely sane, I would never have feelings for someone as horrible as you." she said, continuing up the stairs to her room and slamming the door behind her.

**Author's Note: **So the question is . . . does she have feelings for him? Better yet, does he have feelings for her? Hmm . . . that's a tricky one. So, what _does_ Malfoy have up his sleeve? Does he really have feelings for her, or is he just up to his old ways, playing mind games with poor little Hermione? As they say, time will tell. Ah, and the whole deal with the kiss, I realized that this might seem a little strange coming from Malfoy and everything, but trust me, it's crucial to the plot. Good stuff lies ahead, so keep on reading and reviewing . . . and thanks a bunch load to all of the good people that reviewed! I really appreciate hearing what you have to say!

Jess aka Frizz


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to own Harry Potter . . . or a certain Draco Malfoy . . . I do not and will never own a thing.

**Within A Soul **

_'Take my life and show me what I'm living for_

_There's nothing I won't do for the answer_

_Give me hope and prove to me that this is worth it _

_It's killing me like a cancer _

_I'm still looking for the answer'_

_**Chapter Four **_

A strong gust of wind beat at the window of the Head Girls bedroom as she tossed and turned in her bed, snippets of her past flashing through her head.

_The grass was wet on her bare feet, the chilling air beating against her body. She was sitting on top of a rock, the soothing sounds of water coming from behind her. _

Hermione rolled over on her stomach as the visions began to disappear, leaving her more confused than she had been before. The stress of recovering her lost memories had been building up so much inside of her that it was nearly at the point where she felt as though she could take no more.

Tears began to build in her eyes as she laid there, her body turned towards the window. If she was going to recover any of her memories, Hermione knew that something needed to change. Unfortunately, Draco was the only person that could help her now. She had wished that it would never come down to that.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

In the Head boys room, Draco, too, had quite the trouble sleeping. Unlike Hermione, it was not because of lost memories and a painful wound, but because of a dream; one in which had haunted his thoughts and dreams ever since the beginning of the school year.

Night after night, the dream remained consistent. There was always that young woman, faceless, yet beautiful. She wore a sleek black gown that hugged her slim body, a black cloak hanging from her shoulders, the hood sweeping over her head. A thick sheet of fog and mystery always seemed to follow the girl where ever she went, tempting Draco even more to walk up to her and remove her hood. But he never could.

Whenever Draco would get close enough to the girl, something would always wake him, scarring the girl away. His father had appeared more than once in his dreams, almost always ruining his chance from uncovering the mysterious young woman. This is one of the many reasons why Draco grew to despise his father.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

That next morning, instead of making her daily trip to the Gryffindor common room to visit her friends, Hermione made her way to the Library, an arm full of books and papers. Walking through the crowded hallway, Hermione slid past a group of Slytherin's, one of the boys sticking his foot out in front of her, making her crash to the ground. Coincidentally, Draco Malfoy was there to witness it.

"Have a nice fall, Mudblood?" Pansy said from the middle of the group, her arm locked around Malfoys.

Hermione ignored the snickering group of Slytherin's and began to gather her materials, not noticing that Draco had crouched down next to her.

"What's this?" He said as he held up a paper on memory loss. "Has little-Miss-perfect finally lost her marbles?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him as she ripped the paper from his hands. "That's none of your business."

Draco grinned as he got back on his feet. "Well, I can see that your memory wasn't the only thing that was lost when you cracked your head open."

"What rubbish are you talking about now, Malfoy?" Hermione said with a sigh as she got to her feet, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

"Where are your manners, Mudblood?" he said, his friends snickering behind him. "You shouldn't treat the person that saved your life like yesterdays trash. It's really very rude."

Hermione shook her head, her eyes narrowed at the disgusting figure before her. "Get off your high horse, Malfoy. The only person that needs saving is yourself."

With all of her books and papers back into her arms, Hermione continued her way down the hallway, ignoring Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin's cursing and snickering.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Mione!" Ginny chirped as she sat at one of the many tables in the library, her arm raised high for Hermione to see.

Hermione smiled at her friend, plopping down her books at the table and taking a seat next to Ginny. "It's really nice to see you here, Ginny." she said, placing her books to the side of her.

"How is everything, Mione? Have you recovered any of your memories, yet?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not many, but some. Unfortunately, they're only bits and pieces."

Ginny leaned forward. "Well, tell me about them."

Lowering her head, Hermione closed her eyes, searching through her brain for the images that she had seen the night before. "I remember that it was cold. _Really_ cold. I remember sitting on a rock . . by the lake. That's all I can remember."

Ginny rubbed her forehead. "You don't remember anything else?"

One thing did come to mind. Hermione had in fact remembered what Draco had told her that past night. Did she really believe that? I mean, it could have been complete rubbish for all she knew!

"There was one more thing," Hermione said, softly, "but I'm not entirely sure if I believe it."

This seemed to interest Ginny quite a bit. "What is it?"

Hermione looked down at her hands, wishing that she hadn't said anything about what Malfoy had told her. "When I was in my common room, Malfoy told me that I was sleepwalking down to the lake, and when he went to lead me back to the castle . . . I-I . . I sort of . . kissed him."

Ginny's eyes grew wide. "You . . what?" she said, horrified at what was just said.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know if it's true, Ginny. You don't think I would ever do something so horrid, would you?"

"Of course not, Mione." Ginny said, shaking her head. "I was just shocked, that's all. I mean . . . wow."

Hermione smiled. "What?"

"Just think about it. You kissing Malfoy. That's like every girls dream, isn't it?"

Hermione let out a small laugh. "Have you gone absolutely mental? Of course it's not . . . well, maybe for Pansy and all of the rest of the Slytherins, but not everyone _else_!"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know, Mione, he _is_ pretty cute."

Reaching across the table, Hermione placed her hand on Ginny's head. "You know, you are feeling a little warm. You could be coming down with something."

"You can't deny it, Mione. I know that you find him somewhat attractive."

"No I do not. Ick. Just the _thought _of that arrogant weasel makes me feel sick to my stomach."

Ginny giggled. "You're such a terrible liar, Hermione Granger. I can read you like a book!"

"Fine," Hermione said, giggling along with her friend, "believe what ever you want. I'm telling you, I don't find him at all attractive, even if he did save my life."

Ginny shook her head. "I know for sure that if a guy saved _my_ life, I wouldn't just drop it and forget that it ever happened."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione said, the feeling of guilt rising in her chest. She had been terrible to Draco, hadn't she?

"Well," she said, "what if Malfoy has changed? Now Mione, don't give me that look, because you know it could be possible. I mean, how do you explain his saving your life? The Malfoy that we have known for years would never do that. I bet you that he probably would have let you lay there and die. But did he? No, he didn't."

The guilt that began to build in her stomach was now wrapping itself around her heart, making her feel more terrible than ever. As much as Hermione hated to admit it, Ginny was right . . . for the most part, that is.

"What do you think I should do, Ginny?" Hermione asked, feeling uneasy about apologizing to Draco.

"The only thing that I can think of is to apologize." said Ginny. "And, Mione . . . make sure that you really mean it."

**Author's Note: **Hey there! So now you have learned only the basics of Draco's mysterious dream. This, for sure, will be crucial for later on, so pay close attention to that. Ah, and also, as you can see, Hermione is ever so slowly starting to warm up to that ever so sexy Slytherin. But Draco . . . he's still having issues with his feelings. Of course, this little trick that he is playing on Hermione isn't helping matters any. Things will start to become clearer in the next few chapters . . . especially the next one, which just so happens to be my favorite thus far. So, as always, keep on reading and reviewing! Also, a huge thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed! I absolutely loved all of them . . . well, maybe except for that one particular one. You should know which one that is. Thanks again!

Jess aka Frizz

Ah, and just because I'm in a good mood, here's a preview for the next chapter:

With all of her might, Hermione pushed herself away from the wall, her legs feeling as though they could support her no longer. Dropping to the floor, Hermione brought her hands to her face, her tears slipping down into her palms. "Make it stop!" she cried, the water continually beating down on her.

_**'Why does it have to be this way  
These things they'll never change  
Still I'm left with knowing, content and happy, this is all I need...'  
**_

Hearing her voice, Draco grabbed the end of the shower curtain. Hermione remained on the floor as Draco hovered above her. Getting down to her level, Draco placed his hand on her forearm, daring not to look at her exposed body, but directly in her eyes. "Hermione," he said calmly, not caring what name he had just called her by.

"Draco," Hermione said softly, throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him to her body. "Please, please make it stop!" she cried, her tears dripping on his shoulder.

"Make what stop?" He asked, placing his hand on the back of her head.

Hermione buried her face deeper into Draco's shoulder. "I remember what happened. I remember how I got in the hospital."


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to own Harry Potter . . . or a certain Draco Malfoy . . . I do not and will never own a thing.

**Within A Soul **

_And if I fall through these days that go by without cause  
Just a painful mistake has left me here on my own  
And if I fall through these nights I can't seem to go on  
Just a sign that you're with me gives me the strength to hold on_

**Chapter Five **

After her trip to the library, Hermione slowly made her way down to the Great Hall for dinner, hoping to Merlin that Draco wasn't there. It wasn't just the fact that she had treated him horribly, but saying your sorry to someone who you had despised ever since the day you met them really wasn't that easy. It actually made her feel sick to her stomach.

Taking her seat next to Harry, Hermione reached for the basket of rolls, placing one on her plate.

"So, Mione," said Ron, "about your memory,"

Harry stopped what he was doing, shaking his head at Ron, signaling for him to shut his mouth.

"What were you going to say, Ronald?" Hermione asked, looking from Harry to Ron.

Ron shook his head, pressing his lips together. "Ahh . . err. . nothing. I was just going to ask if you have remembered anything new, yet?"

Taking the butter and spreading it across her roll, Hermione shrugged. "Only bits and pieces, but none of them make sense."

Harry smiled, placing a hand on her forearm. "Don't let it worry you, Mione. You'll remember it, sometime."

Hermione nodded, smiling. "Thanks, Harry."

"So," Ron said, "are you excited about Christmas? It's really coming up quickly."

Smiling brightly, Hermione nodded. "I'm so excited to go back home. My mum and dad promised me last Christmas that they would take me to Egypt this year." she said, her voice trailing off. "The thing is," she said, lowering her head, "I haven't heard a thing from the both of them in quite a while. D-Do you think they're all right?"

Harry and Ron both set down what they were eating, heartbroken that their best friend could not remember the deaths of her parents.

Nodding, Harry smiled wearily. "I'm sure they're all right, Mione. Maybe they just got caught up with work?"

"Yeah, I-I bet it was that. It _is_ close to Christmas. A lot of people are probably wanting to get their teeth cleaned before they pig out on all of that chocolate." Ron said, forcing himself to smile.

"Thanks, guys." Hermione said, returning to her food, a smile still on her face.

Ron and Harry nodded. "You're welcome."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

It was nearly an hour after dinner that Hermione returned to her common room, finding that Draco had not yet returned. Plopping down on the couch, Hermione rested her head on one of the pillows, enjoying the soothing sounds of the crackling fire in front of her.

Drifting off into sleep, Hermione's eyes slowly began to close, her eyelashes brushing against her rose colored cheeks.

_The night seemed to be darker than any other night. Even the billions of twinkling stars had to fight to produce some sort of light in the darkness that surrounded them. _

_Hermione sat upon a rock, the soothing sounds of the lake behind her. Draco Malfoy stood in front of her, his hands pinning down the long black nightgown that hung from her body. _

_"You know what I think you should do?" Draco said deeply. "I think that you should stop all of your crying and be appreciative of what you had, because until you have had a father like mine who insists on torturing you and your mother night and day, you have no right to look down on your life and even consider suicide." _

_Hermione starred into the eyes of her enemy, her lips parting in shock from what had just been said. "I-I didn't . . . I wasn't sure if-" _

_Draco narrowed his eyes at her, his hands curling into fists. "You know nothing about me, Granger. Let's keep it that way." _

The images disappearing, Hermione opened her eyes, startled to see someone hovering above her.

"Malfoy!" She said, placing a hand over her heart. "Don't do that!"

Draco grinned as he sat down in the chair next to the couch. "What were you dreaming about?" he said, pushing back his hair.

Hermione shook her head. "It wasn't a dream, it was a memory."

"Ah, so you remembered something new? Care to tell me about it?"

Sitting up, Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I really didn't think that you would care to hear about things like that."

"Was I involved?"

"Well . . ."

"Then yes, I want to hear it."

Sighing, Hermione propped her elbow up on the arm of the couch, resting her chin in her palm. "From what I remember, we were at the lake, and it was dark. You were standing next to me . . . and you were saying something about your father. You also mentioned something about me committing suicide."

'Ah, so she remembers. Why, of all things, did she have to remember that?'

"Malfoy," Hermione said, "is all of that true?"

Draco nodded his head. "You tried to commit suicide after confessing your feelings for me. That was when you were still asleep, of course."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't remember anything about me confessing any feelings to you."

"Well, you did, and I almost threw you in the lake after it."

Her eyes rolling in the back of her head, Hermione faced forward, dropping her hands in her lap. After many uncomfortably silent minutes, Hermione sighed. "I'm going to take a shower. That always helps to clear my mind." Getting to her feet, Hermione walked past Draco, his eyes following her as she strode over to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Making sure that the door was closed, Hermione walked over to the counter, pushing play on her cd player, the soothing sounds of Amber Pacific filling the room. Stripping away her clothing, Hermione stepped into the shower, the water instantly colliding with her skin, pulling her into the haze that floated from the shower head. This was exactly what she needed to relax, to stop thinking about her memory, and most importantly, about Malfoy.

_**'This is for the ones who believe their lives won't change  
Hoping then someday things will mend and be the same  
And this is for the ones who have lost it all and all that's left to gain  
Is a simple reminder that the things that were blind to slip away...'**_

Letting her head fall back on her shoulders, Hermione stood ever so still as the water rained down on her shoulders, the droplets sparkling like crystals on her skin.

_**How can I say...  
Say I'll be okay...**_

Falling deeper and deeper into the sense of relaxation, almost to the point of falling asleep, an image, clear as day, appeared in front of her. She hadn't noticed this, however, until her head rose from her shoulders, the steam clearing from in front of her.

The water above her seemed to grow colder as she stared down at the image of a young woman, her naked body spread out on the shower floor, dark red blood seeping from her skull. It was then that Hermione felt her body go weak, her legs shaking beneath her, her mind relapsing the memories of her accident. Grabbing the wall of the shower, Hermione let out a piercing scream, hoping to Merlin that someone would hear it and come to help her.

_**'And if I fall through these days that go by without cause  
Just a painful mistake has left me here on my own  
And if I fall through these nights I can't seem to go on  
Just a sign that you're with me gives me the strength to hold on'**_

Draco, having been in the common room at the time, instantly looked towards the door as a scream was heard from another room. Getting to his feet, he quickly rushed to the bathroom, his wand stored in his pocket.

"Granger?" he said, beating at the door with his fist.

Hermione pressed her back against the wall, her breath becoming short, the image still in front of her.

Draco continued to beat at the door until finally, realizing that Hermione wasn't going to let him in, grabbed his wand. With the point of his wand, the door burst open, allowing Draco into the steam filled bathroom.

"Granger, are you all right?" He asked, taking small steps towards the shower.

Sliding to the bottom of the shower, Hermione brought her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on her kneecaps, tears streaming down her cheeks.

_**'Why does it have to be this way  
These things they'll never change  
Still I'm left with knowing, content and happy, this is all I need...'**_

Not receiving an answer, Draco grabbed the end of the shower curtain. Hermione remained on the floor as Draco hovered above her. Sighing with relief, Draco got down to her level, placing a hand on her forearm. "Hermione," he said, not entirely caring what name he had just called her by.

"Draco," Hermione said softly, throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him to her body.

"Are you all right?" He asked, placing his hand on the back of her head.

Hermione buried her face deeper into Draco's shoulder. "I remember how it h-happened. I remember how I got in the hospital."

**'_And if I fall through these days that go by without cause  
Just a painful mistake has left me here on my own  
And if I fall through these nights I can't seem to go on  
Just a sign that you're with me gives me the strength to hold on'_**

Draco took a deep breath, her auburn hair brushing against his cheek, her skin so smooth under his fingers. _'Knock it off, Draco! What in the bloody hell are you thinking? Didn't she make it clear at the hospital that she didn't want to be with you?' _

"Do you want me to take you back to your room?" Draco asked, his arms wrapped tight around the girl.

Hermione nodded. Reaching for a towel, Draco wrapped it around her body, his quivering hands lifting her from the floor as he took her off her feet, carrying her back to her bedroom.

_**And if I fall through these days that go by without cause  
Just a painful mistake has left me here on my own  
And if I fall through these nights I can't seem to go on  
Just a sign that you're with me gives me the strength to hold on...**_

**Author's Note: **Ok . . . so another shower scene. I promise, that'll be the last one (lol Kyp got after me for doing another one). Yes, a little dramatic, but all intended. So I have planned to calm things down a little in the next few chapters, and then . . . well, now you'll just have to wait and see. Unfortunately, I won't be posting any more chapters after this one for a couple more weeks. I'm going with my band to Florida next week (day after Christmas!) for the entire week! We're spending the week at Disney! So, after I get back from my vacation, I will try my hardest to finish chapter 6 and get it posted! Thanks to everyone that has reviewed thus far! Ah, and please, make sure that you check out **CapnSilver's** _Give Me A Haven_. Seriously, it's amazing!

Jess aka Frizz


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to own Harry Potter . . . or a certain Draco Malfoy . . . I do not and will never own a thing.

**Within A Soul **

_I'm over this _

_I'm tired of living in the dark _

_Can anyone see me down here _

_The feeling's gone_

_There's nothing left to lift me up _

_Back into the world I know _

_**Chapter Six**_

"Mr. Weasley!" Snape bellowed from his desk as Ron's head slowly dropped to his table. Ron's head shot up in an instant, a string of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Ron, mate," Harry said, shoving a bottle of potions in front of him. "You really ought to learn to shut your mouth when talking about . . . you know-"

"Hermione's parents?"

Harry nodded, quickly turning over his shoulder to see if Hermione was possibly watching or listening. "Do you remember what Dumbledore said to us after her accident?"

"Yeah, I remember." he said, picking his head up from the table. "He told us to give her some time to recover . . . and then tell her."

"Well, you almost let it slip out this morning."

Ron looked back at Hermione as she went to work on her assignment. "I just don't like to see her like that. I don't think it's right, you know, Dumbledore hiding it from her."

Harry shrugged. "I don't like to see her like that, either, but Dumbledore said it was for the best. Telling her everything now would only upset her even more."

Nodding in agreement, Ron shifted his attention back to the ingredients in front of him. "I just hope that she gets better soon."

"Me too, mate." Harry said, "Me too."

* * *

Later that night, just as the large crescent moon was settling in the sky, Hermione hurried down the stairs from her bedroom, her Head girl's badge shimmering proudly on her chest. Draco followed from close behind.

"Well," Draco said as they exited the common room, stepping out into the darkened hallway. "Someone's a bit giddy today."

Hermione turned to Malfoy, a smile on her face. "What are you talking about? I'm not giddy."

Malfoy grinned. "Alright then, what do you call you skipping out of the common room?"

Hermione shrugged, continuing to walk forward. "I don't know, maybe I'm simply in a good mood."

"And why is that?"

Hermione stopped walking, her back still facing Draco. "I'm not sure. It's a toss-up between being Head girl, which I love . . . and being alive." Sighing deeply, Hermione turned to face him, shoving her hands into her pockets. "You know, I never really thanked you for everything that you've done."

Draco shrugged. "I was just doing my job."

"I know," she said, looking down at her feet, "but you did it, and that's what counts. What matters is that you've saved my life . . . and-"

"And what?"

Hermione shrugged. "And I've done nothing to repay you."

Draco shook his head, starting to walk past her. "I never said that you had to repay me, Granger."

"I know." Hermione said, following him from behind. "It's just that I feel bad about it. I also feel bad about kissing you down at the lake, considering how much I know you hate it."

Draco shrugged, a smirk plastered on his face. "I don't recall ever saying that."

A little ways down the hall, Draco came to a halt, pressing his back against the cold stone wall. Hermione stood next to him, her hands shoved into her pockets. "Can I ask you something?" she said, softly.

Draco nodded. "As long as it doesn't deal with Potty, Weasel, or literature."

Hermione smiled, tilting her head back and shutting her eyes. "Why have you suddenly decided to be nice to me?"

"I've gotten a new perspective on life from someone very close to me."

"So have you finally turned your back on torturing my friends and I?"

Draco let out a small laugh. "Of course not. That would just take all the fun out of life."

"Of course, I should've known you would say that." she said, laughing. "Typical Malfoy."

They continued to walk the hallways for quite some time in silence before they stopped to take a rest, pressing their backs against the cold stone wall.

Hermione smiled. "Do you mind if I ask you another?"

"Last one, so you better make it good."

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Hermione looked down at her feet, and then back into his eyes. "I know that what I'm about to say might be a little strange, but . . . do you . . feel something for me other than hate?"

A strange silence filled the empty hallway, making the situation more uncomfortable than ever. Draco shifted his attention to the wall across from him, Hermione standing at his side, knowing too well that his answer would be no. It was obvious that Draco Malfoy felt absolutely nothing for simple Hermione . . . so why did she even bother asking? She was simply embarrassing herself by asking such a question to a person that she once called her enemy.

Locking her fingertips around her badge, Hermione let her head fall back against the wall, her eyes coming to a close. "I shouldn't have asked." she said, softly.

Draco tilted his head up to the ceiling, inhaling the thick air that floated through the hallways. "Yeah," he said, the words escaping from his mouth before he had the chance to think them over.

Hermione's heart raced. "What?"

"I said yes, Granger." he said, crossing his arms over his chest, his discolored cheeks slightly turning pink. "Bloody hell, do you need your ears checked or something?"

Hermione tried her best to fight the smile that played at her lips. "That was completely unexpected."

Draco shrugged. "I was just being _honest_."

"I know, but still,"

"So," he said, smiling. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Was he really asking her what she thought that he was asking her?

He shrugged. "Do you feel the same?"

She let out a small laugh. It was obvious that she was nervous. "I don't know,"

"It's either yes or no, Granger."

"Alright then. Yes."

Silence.

"So what are we going to do about it? I-I mean, if you want to?"

Hermione nodded. "We could,"

"Do you really want to, you know, do something about it?" he asked, hoping to Merlin that she would say yes.

"It would be hard, but I think that we could." she replied.

He nodded. "So that means that . . . "

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling.

A smile played at her lips. "This is so strange,"

He let out a small laugh. "Strange? Why's that?"

"I don't know," she said, looking down at her shoes. "I guess it's just that I would have never expected this to happen."

"What?" he said, shifting his weight to the other foot.

"You and I . . . a couple." she smiled. "See, even just saying the word is strange."

He nodded in agreement.

"So when do you think we should break the news to our friends?" she asked.

Friends. Draco had almost forgotten about them. What in the hell would Potty and Weasel say when they find out that Hermione is dating the one and only Slythern that they have hated ever since their first year?

"Well," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I think we should keep it a surprise for a little while, you know, until I get a chance to warm up to them."

Hermione nodded. "That sounds good."

Silence filled the hallways once more as the two continued their watch. Looking down at Hermione, Draco could not help but feel the numbness of guilt that spread all throughout his body. He had lied to her. Hermione had gone through a series of painful incidents and the only way that he could help her was by lying. He would make it up to her. Now that she was at his side, he could truly show her that he cared. Now, well, it was just the matter of telling her the truth before anyone else did. If not . . . she may never look at him the same way again.

**Author's Note: **Hey there! Ah, so the two are finally a couple. Expect things to alter in a short amount of time. As it's said, **nothing good can come from lies**. I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter out. I'm hoping I'll get it finished next week when we have a few days off. Well, I really hope that at least someone reviews this chapter! Thanks to everyone that read the last one!

Jess aka Frizz


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to own Harry Potter . . . or a certain Draco Malfoy . . . I do not and will never own a thing.

**Within A Soul **

_Show me what it's like _

_to be the last one standing _

_And teach me wrong from right _

_And I'll show you what I can be_

_Say it for me _

_Say it to me _

_And I'll leave this life behind me _

_Say it if it's worth saving me. _

_**Chapter Seven **_

Mounds of storm clouds passed through the sky as Draco lay in bed that night, a haunting dream roaming through his mind.

"Draco," the radiant young woman before him whispered through the depths of her black cape.

"Who are you?" He said, softly, slowly approaching her. Reaching out, Draco took the cloth in his fingers, letting it drop to her shoulders. He stepped back in shock.

Hermione, as beautiful as the sun, stood before him, her large chocolate eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"Hermione," he said, "I-It's you," Pulling her into his arms, Draco hugged her to his chest, breathing in her enchanting scent.

Almost in an instant, Hermione's smile seemed to fade from her face. "How could you?" she whispered, tears streaming down her scarlet colored cheeks.

Draco pulled away from the embrace, looking deep into her tear filled eyes. "W-What are you talking about?"

"How could you do this to me?" she cried, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Hermione," he reached for her hand but she pulled it away. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything to you."

Her chest heaving, Hermione grasped the cloth that covered her heart. "You never loved me!" she cried. "You did it all for revenge!"

"No," he said, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "No, no I didn't mean it! I didn't do it on purpose!"

She lowered her head, her tears sparkling on her cheeks. "You'll never change, Draco. Your heart will always be as cold as ice." she said, her skin beginning to fade away.

Draco shook his head. "No, please don't go. I didn't mean to do it! I didn't mean for things to be this way!"

"Goodbye, Draco." she said, and in an instant, she was gone.

A bolt of lightning struck outside of Draco's window as sat up in bed, his heart racing and beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Wiping away the sweat, he dropped his head back on the pillow, running a hand through his hair. This dream had seemed so incredibly real. Whether it was a glimpse into the near future or a message from an unknown source, Draco didn't know, but what he did know was that now, the only thing to do was to tell her as soon as possible.

* * *

That next afternoon, Hermione hurried down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Plopping down her books, Hermione smiled at her two best friends, reaching across the table and shoveling a helping of eggs on to her plate.

"Someone's hungry today," Ron said, watching her in amazement.

She picked up her fork, jabbing it into the food. "Just getting some food before I go back up to the common room."

Ron rolled his eyes. "That's all you've been doing lately." he said, grumpily.

"Yeah," Harry said, "When are you ever going to hang out with us again?"

She shrugged. "Don't let it worry you." she said, smiling. "Things will be better soon. I promise."

* * *

After breakfast that morning, Hermione hurried off to her common room, throwing her books down on the couch and hurrying up the steps to Draco's room.

"Draco," she said, softly, as she entered his room. Noticing that he was sleeping, Hermione tip-toed to the other side of the bed, carefully sneaking next to him, making sure that she didn't wake him.

It was strange watching him sleep. All of those years, he had kept that bad boy image, and now as she watched him sleep, she couldn't help but smile as the innocence that had been buried deep within him was reflected on the outside.

"Do you really think you're that sneaky?" Draco mumbled, his alluring silver eyes opening. Grabbing Hermione by the waist, he brought her down to his level, her head pressing against his chest.

This was one of the situations where Hermione could have never pictured herself. Laying there in Draco Malfoy's bed, listening to his heart thumping his chest, his thin white shirt so soft under her fingertips.

Turning her head so that she could look into his eyes, she smiled. "This is nice," she said, softly.

Draco smiled weakly, brushing a stray piece of hair from her eyes. "It is," he said, resting his hand on her cheek.

She slightly tilted her head, noticing the strange look on his face. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No." _Liar. _

"Are you sure?" she said, resting her chin on his chest.

He nodded.

She smiled. "Do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

She looked down at his shirt, shrugging. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come with my parents and I to Egypt?"

Oh great. What was he supposed to say to that?

He nodded, smiling uneasy. "That would be nice," he said.

She smiled warmly, making him feel as terrible as ever. "Great." she said. "I'm more than sure that mum and dad will love to meet you. My mum will probably force you to try a few dozen of her cookies, and my dad, well, you have to watch out for him. He's sort of overprotective of his only daughter."

"I'd love to meet them," he said softly, knowing too well that he would never get the chance.

"Draco," Hermione said as she softly traced her fingertip around his cheek. "Are you sure there isn't something bothering you?"

The words were at the tip of his tongue. _I lied to you. I lied about everything. _No. He couldn't bring himself to do it. It was just too much.

"It's nothing, really." he said, frowning.

She smiled wearily. "D-Do you think that I would be of any help? I mean, I'm a really good listener."

He smiled, shaking his head. "This is something that I need to figure out for myself."

What was he waiting for? Dumbledore is bound tell her sometime soon. Is he waiting till then, to let Dumbledore break the news to her? Did he really just want to sit back and hope that it would all be forgotten?

She sighed. "When do you suppose I should tell Harry and Ron about us?

He shrugged, a smile plastered on his face. "I don't know, but when you do, make sure that I'm close by."

"Why do you say that?" she said, laughing.

"Come on, Hermione, think about it. How long have they despised me?"

She shrugged. "For as long as they have known you."

"All right, now how do you think they'll react when they hear that their best friend is dating their enemy?"

"Horribly," she said, smiling.

He let out a laugh. "I can just picture it now. Potty and Weasel, both of them turning a lovely shade of red . . . the color of Weasel's hair, of course. It's guaranteed to be a priceless moment."

Hermione playfully hit Draco's arm. "Hey now, they're still my best friends." she said. "I hope they don't react horribly."

"They won't, love. Trust me." he said, running a hand through her hair.

Her head turning in the direction of the door, Hermione jumped up from the bed. "I'll be right back," she said, hurrying down to the common room.

Draco continued to lay there in his bed, his eyes shifted towards the window. Thousands of sparkling snowflakes floated past the window, landing gracefully among the snow covered grounds. It was all so beautiful, just like Hermione. She was so innocent and pure, just like the snowflakes that drifted by his window. How could he have been so stupid to do something so cruel to someone as sweet and wonderful as her?

He smiled as Hermione returned to the room, an envelop in her hands. "What's that?" he said, eyeing it suspicially.

"Professor McGonagall just delivered it to me," she said.

Taking a seat on his bed, Hermione tore open the envelope, pulling out the letter and holding it in front of her.

_Miss Granger, _

_If it is possible, I would like to meet with you later this evening to discuss your memory loss. I am more than sure that you have many unanswered questions, and now, I feel as though it is the perfect time to provide you with the answers. _

_Sincerely, _

_Albus Dumbledore _

**Author's Note: **Hmm . . . interesting. Ah, well, I'm almost done with the next chapter, just need to fix a few things and then I'll get it posted! Thanks to everything that has read, and the very few that have reviewed! As always, be kind and review!

Jess


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to own Harry Potter . . . or a certain Draco Malfoy . . . I do not and will never own a thing.

**Within A Soul **

_You, you're the sea _

_I'm the waves crashing _

_I'm the ground _

_The ground under your feet _

_I'm a liar, a thief _

_And I, am an apology._

_**Chapter Eight**_

Later that evening, just after dinner had come to an end, Hermione, Ron, and Harry walked together from the Great Hall.

"So, Mione," Ron said, rubbing his full belly. "What're your plans for the evening?"

Remembering the letter, Hermione shrugged. "Nothing really. Dumbledore wants to meet with me a little later. He said something about having some things to tell me. Not sure what they could be about."

Both boys eyes grew wide.

"Bloody hell," Harry said under his breath.

She turned to him. "What did you say?"

He shook his head. "Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "I just remembered that I had a paper to finish before tomorrow."

Stopping, Ron took Hermione's arm, bringing her to a stop. "Mione," he said, sighing. "What ever Dumbledore tells you,"

Harry stood behind Hermione, eyeing Ron suspiciously.

"Just remember that we're always here to talk." he finished, smiling wearily.

Hermione nodded, not completely understanding what he was talking about. Smiling, continued to move forward, taking them with her. "Thanks, Ron."

Harry placed his hand on the small of her back. "Good luck, Hermione." he said as they approached the Heads house.

Saying the password, Hermione entered the common room, dropping her bag in one of the armchairs. Draco stood at the other side of the room, his back turned towards her.

"Draco," she said as she approached him, making him jump in fright. She smiled at his sudden change of attitude, but quickly noticed that something was wrong as his face turned a deep shade of white.

"Draco, what's wrong?" she said, pulling him into her arms.

He shook his head. "Nothing." he said. "Just ate some bad pumpkin roll. I'll fine, really."

She smiled, placing a hand on the back of his head. "Do you still want to go with me to meet with Dumbledore?"

He hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "Of course," he said, softly.

"We better be on our way, then. Don't want to hold him up." she said as she pulled away, straightening her robe.

A few minutes later, Draco and Hermione stood at the bottom of the stairwell to Dumbledore's office. Whispering the password, the two made their way to the top, almost instantly greeted by Dumbledore.

"Miss Granger," he said, signaling her to take a seat. Noticing Draco standing uneasily at the door, he smiled. "Mr.Malfoy, would you like to take a seat?"

He shook his head, lowering it slightly. "No, no I think that I need to stand."

"He's not feeling well," Hermione said, looking back at him and smiling.

Dumbledore nodded, understanding that it was more than a bad pumpkin roll that was upsetting Draco. Taking a seat at his desk, he neatly placed his hands out in front of him, a smile never leaving his face.

"So, Miss Granger," he said, strongly. "I understand that you have been collecting many of your lost memories."

She nodded. "It has been an incredibly slow process, but yes, I have."

There was something about the room at this current point in time made Hermione really very nervous.

"So," he said, looking down at his hands. "I imagine you are wondering why I have called you hear?"

She nodded, her palms beginning to sweat.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, taking a few seconds of silence to think over this thoughts. "Everything happens for a reason. Some things we can change . . . and there are some things that we cannot. When I give you this incredibly large piece of information, Miss Granger, I want you to understand that this is one of those unfortunate things that cannot be changed, no matter how hard we wished they could."

She sat on the very edge of her seat. "What is it?" she said, softly, almost afraid to hear what he had to say.

"Two lives had recently been taken in horrific car accident, caused by none other than a teenager, who at the time, was heavily under the influence of alcohol." he said, sighing. "There was nothing that could have been done to save them. They never saw it coming."

She shook her head, not completely understanding why he was telling this to her. "If you don't mind me asking, what does that have to do with me?" she said.

Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment. "They were your parents." he said, softly.

At that moment, it was almost as if Hermione were pulled by the nostrils into a swirling tunnel full of lost and painful memories. Every single moment from the weeks that once seemed lost to her flooded back into her head, playing like slideshow in front of her eyes.

Her parents were dead. Victims of a car crash. Her plan to jump into the lake. Draco following her to the lake. Falling in the shower after hearing Draco's voice. Draco's . . . lie.

Fighting the tears that welled in her eyes, Hermione shook her head, not wanting to believe a word that had been said. No words would escape from her mouth, for they were caught in the web of confusion and sadness that threatened to strangle her at any given moment. It had all been a complete lie. Everything that Draco had told her had been nothing but a lie!

Dumbledore reached across his desk, placing a warming hand on her forearm. "I'm very sorry, Miss Granger. If I can do something, something at all to make you feel better,"

Without replying to Dumbledore, Hermione got to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest and moving ever so quickly past Draco. It was almost as if everyone around her were ghosts; transparent and full of lies. No one had bothered to tell her. It had been a game, to see exactly how long she could go on, living a life that no one wanted to live.

It didn't matter much to Hermione that there was someone following her behind. It was too painful to look back, to look at the face that she thought that she loved.

"Hermione!" Draco yelled from behind as he grabbed her by the forearms, pinning her to the wall.

Removing her arms from his grasp, Hermione brought back her hand, releasing it against his face. "You bastard!" she cried as she continued to run down the hallway, making her way to the common room.

Draco, clenching his cheek, ran after her, continuing to yell her name. "Hermione, for God's sake, please stop and talk to me!"

"There's nothing to talk about!" She yelled, trying to away from him. "You have nothing to lie to me about, anymore. I know that it was all just a sick game to you, Malfoy!"

Grabbing her by the shoulder, he managed to bring her to a stop. "It was anything but a game, Hermione." he said, ducking as she swung at his face.

"Will you knock it off for just one minute!" he said, reaching for her forearms and grasping them in his hands.

"Let me go!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

He shook his head. "Not until you let me talk to you,"

"I'm done talking to you, Malfoy! Everything that you've ever told me has been nothing but a bloody lie!"

"No it hasn't, Hermione!" he growled, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "I didn't know what I was doing to you, Hermione. I didn't know what I had gotten myself into until I realized that what you were starting to feel for me was real, or at least what you thought was real."

Hermione closed her eyes, her entire body shaking with frustration. "How could you do this to me? H-How could you keep this from me?"

He shook his head, feeling tears forming in his eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you," he said, softly.

"So you lied to me, instead!"

"Look," he said, looking deep within her tear filled eyes. "I had gotten myself into something that I couldn't control, and now as a result of that, I've lost probably the only thing that has been keeping me sane at this bloody school!"

Hermione nodded. "You're right about one part, Malfoy. You've for sure lost any chance with ever gaining back my trust!"

Removing herself from his grasp, Hermione shook her head, her eyes narrowed at him. "You'll never change," she said as she pushed past him, making her way back to the Heads house.

Watching her go, Draco knew that this was it, that he had blown any chance of ever being with Hermione Granger. He felt like such a coward! How the hell did he expect her to react to something like this?

Now, well, the only thing to do was to prove to her that his feelings for her were true. He wasn't sure of how he was going to manage that one, but one thing that he did know for sure was that he would have to act fast before it was too late.

**Author's Note**: Hey there! A huge thanks to all of my readers and reviewers! It really means a lot! I'm pretty sure that I'll have the next chapter out in the next few days. I just have to change a few things and then I'll be sure to post it! As always, be kind and review!

Jess

Ah, and for **Beautiful Suicide15**, here are the names of the songs that I have used thus far:

Ch.1) Broken Sunday- See This Through

Ch.2) Ryan Cabrera- I Know What It Feels Like  
Ch.3) Kaci Brown- Unbelievable

Ch.4) Broken Sunday- See This Through

Ch.5) Amber Pacific- If I Fall

Ch.6) Can't remember . . .

Ch.7) Nickelback- Savin' Me

Ch.8) Our Lady Peace- Apology


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to own Harry Potter . . . or a certain Draco Malfoy . . . I do not and will never own a thing.

**Within A Soul **

__

"Forgive me, forgive me not

I'm sorry for what it's worth, I know I'm wrong

Can't you see I'm still me

Are you listening?

Nothing I can say will make this right

Just give it time

Why can't I spit it out?

I need relief

Your sympathy"

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**

* * *

** _

_"I didn't know what I was doing to you, Hermione. I didn't know what I __had gotten myself into until I realized that what you were starting to feel for me was real, or at least what you thought was real." _

His words repeated in her mind, making her sick to the stomach. Hermione pressed herself against her closet wall, looking out at the room that looked as though it had been struck by a tornado. Clothes and assorted items covered the floor, shards of glass sparkling beneath them.

She had thrown everything that she could get her hands on. She needed to feel in control, to rid of the anger and the sadness that overwhelmed her. More than anything, she needed an escape.

Hiding away in the closet, she felt content, free to let her tears run without anyone noticing. What she needed now was space . . . and possibly a bat to beat the bloody daylights out of Draco. That would be wonderful. Tempting, but so very wrong. She couldn't let her anger control her.

Sighing, she buried her face in her knees, taking several deep breaths in attempt to fight back her tears. She needed to be strong. Her parents wouldn't have wanted her to lock herself away from the world and sob over their death. They would've wanted her to move on, to be the greatest that she could be.

If only it wasn't so hard. If only she could be so strong and fight the urge to cry. How could she not when she had just lost everything? There was nothing left for her but Hogwarts, and soon she would be venturing out into the real world. Pressing her head against the wall, she shut her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek.

_"I had gotten myself into something that I couldn't control, and now as a result of that, I've lost probably the only thing that has been keeping me sane at this bloody school!" _

* * *

This was a terrible idea. How the bloody hell did he think of this? Of all people, they would never help him! They hated him. Draco sighed. They were his only option.

Hiding in the shadows, Draco waited for the two Gryffindors to pass him, making their return back to their common room. It seemed like ages passed before he heard them, their chattering sounding like a pack of wild birds.

"Hey Potter, Weasley," he said, stepping from the shadows to greet them.

Ron sighed. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco shoved his hands in his pockets. He never really thought about how hard it would be to ask them for help.

"There's no need to get an attitude, Weasley." he said with a smirk. "I was just looking for a civil conversation,"

"Civil conversation?" Harry said with a laugh. "Since when have you ever had a civil conversation?"

Draco laughed, surprising both of them. "Funny. But really, I do need to discuss a few things with you."

Both boys shook their heads. "No, no, we have much better things to do than to waste our time standing around here with you." Ron said as he and Harry began to move forward.

"It's about Hermione," Draco said, stopping both of them in their tracks.

"Hermione?" Harry said, turning to face him.

"What have you done to Mione?" Ron said, his hand curling into a fist.

Draco shook his head. "No, no don't bother, you obviously have better things to do than to talk to me."

"What the hell did you do to her, Malfoy?" Harry said, taking a step towards Draco.

"Even if I do tell you, you're not going to believe a word I say."

Ron narrowed his eyes. "Just tell us,"

Sighing, Draco closed his eyes for a moment. "Hermione and I are dating." The words just seemed to pour from his mouth before he even had the chance to think them over.

Silence.

Dead silence.

He knew this would be coming. Any second now . . .

In unison, Harry and Ron burst into a fit of laughter.

"He's gone mad!" Harry said, clenching his stomach as laughter poured from his mouth.

Ron nodded. "Really, I mean, Hermione with . . you? She hasn't lowered her standards that far, has she?"

Oh, how tempting it was to give Ron a good knock in the face. Draco remained neutral as the two shared a good laugh.

"You think it's a joke, but in all honesty, it's not." Draco said, his hands curling into fists.

Harry wiped his eyes. "Sure, Malfoy. Why should we believe that?"

He shrugged. "I was the one who helped her when she slipped in the shower."

Laughing, Harry shook his head. "Rubbish,"

"Yeah," Ron said, grinning. "And I shagged Snape."

"Bloody hell," Harry said, scrunching his nose. "That's just disgusting."

Draco sighed, knowing that he was getting absolutely no where with this.

"You know what," he said, shaking his head. "Just forget it. You two obviously don't care about your friend as much as you lead me to believe." Turning on his heel, Draco began to make his way down the hallway, stopping in his tracks as Harry and Ron jumped in front of him.

"What the bloody hell are you getting at Malfoy?" Ron said, his fingers gracing the wand inside his pocket.

Draco looked at both of them. "I need your help," he said, softly.

Ron grinned. "Blimey, he's really gone mad!"

"Why do you need our help?" Harry said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And why hasn't Hermione told us about all of this?"

"Come on, Potter, think about it. How long have you hated me?"

"For as long as we have known you." Harry said, a little too quickly.

"Alright, now how do you think you'd react if Hermione told you that she was dating me?"

"Horribly, of course." he replied.

"That doesn't explain why you need our help," Ron said.

Sighing deeply, Draco ran a hand through his hair. "It all started the night that Hermione first discovered that her parents had been in a crash. . . " he said, continuing to tell them the entire story of what he had done to make Hermione so angry at him.

At the end of his story, Ron and Harry stood speechless, narrowing their eyes at him.

"My intentions weren't to hurt her." he said, lowering his head, slightly.

Ron let out a laugh. "So by lying to her, you thought that you'd be protecting her?"

He nodded.

"That's pathetic," Harry said.

Draco sighed. "I didn't see you two running off to tell her,"

Silence.

"Fine, you win." Ron said, running a hand through his hair.

Harry eyed Draco suspiciously. "How can we trust you after everything that you've done to us in the past?"

Draco shrugged. "The past is the past," he said, frankly.

Harry and Ron looked at one another. "How are we supposed to help you?" Ron said.

"Well," Draco said, smiling. "I was just thinking, if I could get you two to talk to Hermione about all of this, I think she would come around a little and actually speak to me again."

This was quite a difficult decision. Was Draco really telling the truth, or was this just another one of his sick games?

"Look," he said, shifting his weight to the other foot. "I'm not really the one that enjoys asking for help, especially from the both of you, but in this case, I have no other option. You two know Hermione better than anyone, and if you can talk to her, maybe she'll give me another chance. That's all I want."

Ron sighed. "Are you sure this isn't just a joke?"

Draco laughed. "Come on, Weasley, do you really think I'd joke about something like this?"

"We'll talk to her," Harry said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But under one condition,"

"What?" Draco said.

"If this turns out to be another one of your sick jokes, we'll beat the bloody daylights out of you." Ron said, narrowing his eyes.

"Trust me," Draco said, a smile stretching at his lips. "It's not."

**Author's Note: **Hey there! Sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter out. I've been so busy with school and everything, but now that I'm on summer vacation, I'll have more time to actually finish this story. I'm going to try my hardest to get the last few chapters out, and hopefully post some new stuff that I've been writing. As always, don't forget to review!

Jess aka Frizz


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